Customers have come to rely on online channels and technologies to browse, find information, and purchase. This has resulted in brands needing marketers with in-demand and transferable digital skills and knowledge.
That has also created global demand as companies seek digital talent that can help them stand out from the competition and implement strategies for the new customer journey to drive leads and revenue.
So, what does this mean for you as a marketer in 2023 and how is the job market shifting as a result of the increased need for digital know-how? Let’s look at the most important digital marketing skills and job trends this year.
1. Programming, Web and App Development
At the heart of any tech product or digital service is coding. The core languages that most programming and web and app development positions need include Bootstrap, jQuery, Angular, Code Igniter, PHP/JavaScript and MySQL.
These skills are listed on a regular basis in the top 10 most in-demand by employers on LinkedIn.
Having a portfolio of projects demonstrating your coding skills can also help to validate your knowledge and expertise and help you land your dream role. Examples of mobile and responsive web development experience will give you an edge over other candidates.
Coding is also vital for emerging technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Coding will provide AR and VR Developers with the foundation skills needed to develop the next generation of AR and VR technologies.
2. Digital Business Analysis
Digital Business Analysis helps organizations to make the right choices by providing an independent and objective mind set and applying a range of proven analysis techniques to make a convincing business case for investment in a digital solution.
As digital transformation is central to all organizations in the digital economy, digital business analysis skills have become the hottest skills to have on your CV in the 21st Century.
Digital Business Analysts are at the epicenter of digital transformation projects. They help organizations develop a digital ecosystem of technologies that will help drive digital transformation and business growth.
3. Digital Design and Data Visualization
Websites, Apps and Digital Services have one thing in common; a user interface. Any designer with experience creating effective, dynamic user experiences will be in high demand with most tech companies.
Designers can also visualize complex data to help management make vital business decisions. This skill is call data visualization.
Data visualization is useful for senior leaders to gain valuable insights from data. Tools such as Tableau and Power BI are used by designers to analyze and visualize data.
4. Digital Project Management
Project management is by no means exclusively desirable to tech companies but it is a vital part of developing digital products and services in a timely and cost effective manner. An understanding of a range of methodologies such as SCRUM and AGILE will stand out on any CV.
Digital Project Managers need to have a holistic understanding of how digital projects are developed – from ideation to prototype to fully developed digital product or service.
5. Digital Product Management
Another skill that is not unique to software development but one that is particularly valuable nonetheless is Digital Product Management.
Software services in particular need to have a lifecycle management plan put in place. The continued growth of Software as a Service will make Product Management ever more integral to the tech sector.
6. Digital Marketing
We all know that the Covid-19 pandemic transformed the way people work. With employees no longer able to travel or work in offices, working from home became a way of life.
For many, that change shifted the way people thought about work and highlighted the need for a better work/life balance. For others, it made them reassess what they wanted from their careers and resulted in a total career change or move to a more flexible role.
2022 is going to be an interesting year for the sector as many marketers figure out a way of working that suits them. Ultimately, it’s shifted the control to the employee as increased demand for skills offers more choice on how and where they work.
Orla Stack, HR Director at the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) believes that candidates are in the driving seat in 2022.
“The world of working has changed the way we look at how candidates and employees view the market, and how employers view it as well. It’s painting that picture of what it’s like to work in a remote environment, and what’s available to an employee, and the supports that are there if you have a hybrid environment, what that looks like.”
Plus, it’s not just about salary or perks anymore. “For candidates looking at roles, they’re looking at opportunities outside of salary and benefits.
They want flexibility and career opportunities. It’s going to be a very challenging year for employers. But for candidates or anybody looking for a change, they’ve got such a choice,” states Stack.
What does this mean for marketing professionals? Think about what you want from your career and how you want to work. Do you want to become a digital specialist in search marketing or social media marketing or do you want to become a digital marketing manager?
Think about your career path and see what working options would suit your professional and personal life.
To promote their products and services tech companies will look to digital marketing. Understanding of how to get the most value for money out of the broadest range of networks will be key here. In-demand skills for Digital Marketers include:
- Digital marketing tools
- Analytics tools
- Social media marketing
- Content marketing
- SEO
- UX (User Experience Design)
Find out how Graduate, Bella Jasani, Executive Director of Global Marketing at J.P. Morgan has benefited from upskilling with digital marketing skills.
7. Social Media
Some of the best PR today is carried out almost exclusively through social media.
Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram and countless other platforms give tech companies direct access to customers, thought leaders and evangelists. The best Tech PR managers are Social Media managers.
8. Data Science and Data Analytics
Companies gather huge amounts of data that can be immensely valuable to them if they have an Big Data Analyst who can make sense of it all. Data Scientists are in-demand by employers across the world. Glassdoor constantly feature Data Scientists in their Best Jobs Listing.
Not only is Data Science an excellent career path for professionals in the digital age, but demand far outweighs supply, making Data Scientists highly employable.
A recent McKinsey report showed that “The United States alone faces a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with analytical expertise and 1.5 million managers with skills to make decisions based on the analysis of big data.”
As data science becomes a minimum requirement for more and more manager level jobs, learning data science will help you position yourself ahead of the curve.
9. Decision Making for Leaders
Decision making is a critical for leaders in the digital age.
According to the World Economic Forum, for those looking to future proof their careers, building competencies in areas that machines will be unlikely to tackle effectively (i.e. complex problem solving, creativity and problem solving) is likely the best recipe for success.
Organizations need leaders who can tap into their knowledge and experience to make rapid decisions. Behavioral economics is one route for professionals to improve their decision making abilities.
Behavioral economics studies the effects of psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural and social factors on the economic decisions of individuals and institutions.
Learning this skill will improve your decision-making skills by gaining insights from the fields of cognitive and social psychology.
Something They Haven’t Seen Before
When an employer has to decide between a dozen or so equally qualified candidates they will want to see something to help them make a decision, something unique that a candidate can bring to the team.
It might be work on an emerging technology or something completely out of left field. Our programs provide this element of uniqueness with each participant on our Professional Certificate programs gaining experience working in international cross-functional teams to develop a prototype of a digital product.
Experience working in international cross-functional teams is highly sought after by tech companies worldwide. Communicating clearly to team members around the world and across multiple time zones helps organizations to operate more effectively and efficiently.
The project provides participants with an open-ended challenge in an international, cross-functional team setting.
Participants will learn the processes and methodologies needed to address the uncertainty of a high-level digital project brief and to successfully develop a prototype that demonstrates an understanding of user-driven design, user experience, and lean user experience (UX) methodologies.
This experience is invaluable for your CV and will be a major bonus in any interview situation.
The Gig Economy is Booming for Marketers
This new way of working has created a booming gig economy (a labor market for short-term contracts and freelancers). It’s now more than possible to become a freelance digital marketer and earn a good living in 2022.
In fact, in 2021, Upwork’s 2021 Freelance Forward survey reported that freelancers contributed $1.3 trillion to the U.S. economy, up $100 million from the previous year.
A study of U.S professionals by Upwork found that 20 percent (10 million people) are considering leaving full-time work to freelance. Out of that, 73 percent cite remote working and flexibility as the key reason for that decision.
The same report dug into other benefits of becoming a freelancer such as a lack of a commute, a more flexible schedule, and increased personal time.
This confirms what we talked about above in relation to employees now valuing flexibility and a work/life balance above salary and other perks.
Along with a boom in freelance jobs, there’s also an emergence of companies to support those roles.
“You can see businesses sprouting up such as Patreon, Substack and Lili, which is a bank that supports freelancers. They assess their credit risk not in the traditional way that banks do but look at income and average it out using a different credit risk model,” says Mischa McInerney, Marketing Director of DMI.
Another route for skilled marketers is becoming a digital nomad. This offers the flexibility of a freelance job with the bonus of moving from city to city, or country to country, while you work.
Many digital nomads report earning more money than they did in a traditional 9-5 job. That’s food for thought if you have in-demand digital skills and want to change your lifestyle this year.
Marketers Must Upskill to Stay Relevant
As you can see there are huge opportunities out there for marketers with relevant and up-to-date digital skills. The problem for many marketers is that they don’t have the skills companies need to grow and succeed in the digital space.
“When you look at the top in-demand marketing jobs, they’re all digital skills-based. So it’s important to upskill and stay on top of not only new things but ensure you’re up to speed on all aspects of digital marketing. It’s only getting bigger and more important as a discipline, and being up-to-date is really important,” states Ken Fitzpatrick, CEO of DMI.
Whether you’re just starting your digital marketing career or an experienced digital marketer, here are five key tips to keep your skills up-to-date:
- Look for digital marketing influencers in an area you’re interested in such as social media or search marketing
- Subscribe to expert blogs or podcasts – like the DMI blog and DMI podcast – to keep an eye on trends and developments
- Enroll in a digital marketing course – short or intensive depending on the skills you need
- If you’re in a job currently, ask about in-house training or if there’s a training fund so you can outsource
- Connect with professionals on networks such as LinkedIn and improve your LinkedIn profile to get found and connected
It can take time and effort to learn new skills or keep current, but it will be worth it when you land that dream job (remote or otherwise) or get that promotion you’ve been looking for.
If you’re wondering where to start, Alison Battisby, Social Media Consultant at Avocado Social has some advice.
“Many professionals are looking to enhance their knowledge around things like social media ROI, social media advertising, and content creation. Those are the three areas where a lot of people feel they need to upskill, and that’s where the demand is in digital marketing.”
Flexibility is here to stay and digital skills are crucial
The speed at which the marketing landscape is changing is tied to evolving digital technologies, changing consumer behavior, and the digital marketing requirements of brands – big and small.
There’s a lot of scope for success as a digital marketer and many routes you can take. The best way to figure out the next step for your career in 2022 is to think about what you want and see how you can act on that.
Is the life of a freelancer or nomad attractive? Do you want to move into management? Or, do you simply want to upskill in the in-demand areas so you can start or advance your marketing career. Whatever you choose, the future is bright for talented digital marketers.
